Top 5 Area Minnesota Girls And Boys Basketball Rankings (Week 2)

Had a bit of a shakeup in the boys rankings after Fergus Falls knocked off Hawley.

Girls rankings stay the same, since the season starts this week.

BOYS

1. Perham (3-0)

This week: Host Crookston Thursday

Perham is off to a 3-0 start thanks to Hunter Salathe (3). Photo by Dave Walls/Forum

Perham is rolling to start the season with a 74-43 win over Staples-Motley, a 55-52 win over Breck and an 83-53 win over Wadena-Deer Creek. They are getting scoring from all over the place, as Hunter Salathe had 17 points against Staples-Motley and Nick Bahls had 25 against Wadena-Deer Creek, 21 of which came on 3-pointers.

2. Battle Lake (1-0)

This week: Host Ashby Tuesday and at Rothsay Friday

Battle Lake opened the season with a 70-32 win over Hancock. Just as they did last season, the Battlers spread the ball around. Tyler Ukkelberg and Andrew VanErp each had 15 points and Petric VanErp added 12.

3. Fergus Falls (2-0)

This week: Host Sauk Rapids-Rice Tuesday and at Brainerd Friday

Otters with a great start to the season, topping Breckenridge 79-54 and Hawley 67-56. Austin Rund had 27 points and 10 rebounds in the win against Hawley and 16 points and 11 rebound against Breckenridge.

4. Ada-Borup (0-0)

This week: Host Northern Cass Saturday

Blake Fetting (center) will help lead the Ada-Borup basketball team in 2013-14. Photo by Dave Wallis/Forum

Ada-Borup is yet to play this season. The Cougars lose Joel Merkens and Mitchell Ruebke, but they return Lance Ruebke, JD Kappes and Blake Fetting to a team that has eight seniors.

5. Hawley (0-1)

This week: Host Breckenridge Tuesday and at Oak Grove Thursday

Hawley looks to rebound after opening the season with a loss. They will need Jordan Harms (right) to do so. Photo by Dave Wallis/Forum

Hawley lost their opener to a tough Class 3A team in Fergus Falls. The top three returning scorers are just coming off a football season, so it may take time for Dalton Leaf, Jordan Harms and Ben Ellefson to get their basketball legs back.

Knocking on the door

Park Christian (1-0)

This week: Host Pelican Rapids Tuesday and at Rothsay Saturday

Erv Inniger picked up his first win as a basketball coach in 21 years and his first ever win as a high school basketball coach Friday. Photo by Dave Wallis/Forum

Falcons opened with a 54-42 win over Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton to get former NDSU men’s basketball coach Erv Inniger his first ever win as a high school basketball coach.

Matt Moberg had 13 points and nine rebounds and Hunter Nickel had 11 points and 11 rebounds for Park Christian. The Falcons go as far as those two take them.

A big test for the Falcons will be Monday against Ada-Borup.

GIRLS

1. Fergus Falls (29-1 in 2012-13)

This week: Host Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton Thursday and at the Hopkins Tournament Saturday

University of North Dakota commit Bailey Strand (22) returns to the point guard position to Fergus Falls. Dave Wallis/Forum

That one loss couldn’t have come at a worse time. Fergus Falls was ranked No. 1 the entire regular season last season and their first loss came in double overtime in the first round of the state tournament 79-78 to Monticello.

The Otters lose some height with Hanna Swenson, but return the rest of the starting lineup, including leading scorer and point guard Bailey Strand (University of North Dakota commit), leading rebounder Anna Monke (University of Minnesota-Duluth commit) and Brianna Rasmusson (North Dakota State volleyball commit).

2. Ada-Borup(28-4 in 2012-13)

This week: No games

Monica Vega (right) leads an experienced Ada-Borup team that played in the state title game last season. Michael Vosburg/Forum

The Cougars have been to state six times since 2006 with two state championships and last season’s runner-up finish.

Even better news for Ada-Borup is they went 28-4 and played in the state title game with one senior. Granted, losing their leading scorer Megan Kolness hurts, but the team returns everyone else, including point guard Monica Vega, who does everything on a basketball court, and forward Heidi Eggen and guard Shaina Stevenson, both of whom averaged double digits in points at the state tournament.

3. Hawley (20-5 in 2012-13)

This week: At Lake Park against Lake Park-Audubon Tuesday and host Barnesville Friday

Hawley will need a lot from Jody Noreen (center) if they want to compete for a section title. Dave Wallis/Forum

Hawley started last season losing three of their first four games. The Nuggets then won 19 of their next 20 games to get earn a top seed in the Section 8AA tournament and a top 10 ranking in the state. They were upset in the second round of the playoffs by Wadena-Deer-Creek.

Good news for the Nuggets is they return all but three from that team that had all offseason to think about that upset. Bad news is the one consistent starter they lose was double-double machine Drew Sannes, who is playing at Minnesota State Moorhead. The Nuggets will look to Mira Ellefson and Jody Noreen to lead them.

The Vikings clawed, scrapped and hit 3-pointers last season. They needed two overtimes in their opening playoff game and another overtime in the section championship to get to state for the second time in program history.

Big problem is they lose Madison Korf and Sommer Haugrud, two of their top 3-point threats, along with six big seniors. Good news is they return point guard Mackenzie Korf, who can score all over the court and is only a sophomore.

5. Underwood (21-7 in 2012-13)

This week: Host Rothsay Thursday

The Rockets lose team MVP Carly Masloski, along with fellow Little Eight all-conference players Megan Biegler and Greta Thormodson from a Rockets squad that lost to in the section semifinals to a Parkers Prairie team that went 26-2.

They return Kaitlyn Holen, who was also all-conference, and led the team in steals and assists along with Karlea Thorson, who earned the most improved player award for the team.

Chris Murphy can be reached at 701-241-5548 or cmurphy@forumcomm.com. Follow him on Twitter @SeeMurphsTweets for Minnesota prep updates and smart alecky remarks about sports, movies, music and life in general.

ABOUT

Chris Murphy has been a sports reporter for the Forum since 2012. He's covered high school sports in Chicago, North Dakota and Minnesota since 2009 and, for some reason, has been given awards for doing so.